Briars Faded, Foxes Silent
by RainsReflection
Summary: When a clan gets separated after a flood, 13 of the cats take shelter from the rain underneath a cliff's stony overhang. It's not long, though, before trouble arises. An angry fox mother follows her curious kits into the shelter, and chaos follows. How many in the small group will make it through the night?


**Death**

The rain came down in icy sheets, relentlessly battering the cats' pelts. The clan had been seperated, and we're trying to find each other.

One, her light gray pelt turned dark from the rain, complained "Why can't we make shelter? It's not like we're getting anywhere. We could be going in circles for all you know!"

A black Tom, the leader of the group, turned to her. "Fadedpaw, are you questioning me? Would _you _like to come up here and lead us?"

Fadedpaw shook her head. "No, Darkstar." She said hurriedly, ducking her head.

Darkstar nodded, and the small group, consisting of maybe 13 cats, continued, their leader casting occasional glances to the sky.

Finally, when one of the kits let out a small whimper, a mousy brown shecat padded up to the leader, and with a persuading tone, she gestured to the tired, wet, and cold cats that surrounded them.

"We have to stop, Darkstar." She said strongly, her eyes deep. "If not for the kits and the elders, then for my kits. _Your _kits."

Darkstar looked around before sighing. With a hesitant tone, he told her, "Your right, Fawntrail. I will send FAdedpaw out to find us a den." He gave Fadedpaw a pointed look.

The young shecat grumbled, but skipped off, almost dancing in the rain.

A bit later, Fadedpaw came back, an excited look in her eyes.

"Follow me!" She squeaked, and ran in the direction she had come from. With a growl of irritation, Darkstar and his cats took off after her.

.

They soon came to a shallow cave.

Darkstar Eyes it dubiously, and was opening his mouth to ask Fadedpaw how the whole group was going to fit in there, when the apprentice hopped above it, and disappeared behind the ledge.

Darkstar sighed, but jumped up after her. He saw her grinning triumphantly in a significantly larger cave, water from her belly fur dripping onto the stone floor.

He nodded in approval at her. "Good. Now help me get the kits, queens, and elders up here."

.

They soon all rested in a cozy, warm part of the cave, near enough to the entrance to see it clearly, but far enough away so they couldn't see the rain.

Soon they were all asleep, excepting Tawnypool, who was set to Gaurd the camp. But, she, too, fell asleep, near the only exit of the cave.

Nearby, a fox kit happily skipped out of his den. His meeker sister slid shyly out behind him, he'r lighter red fur trembling on her slender body. Their mother slept, peacefully unaware, inside the den. The kits leaped up onto the ledge and ran to the cave.

Hearing nothing, the cats didn't bother to wake or guide the fox kits in a seperate direction.

The older fox kit, the boy, peeked into the den. His sister whimpered behind him, and he growled softly in her direction. She didn't answer.

The fox mother, hearing the faintest of whimpers from her kit, and feeling that neither of her children were beside her, woke, and began hunting her kits' scent.

In the cave, a tired Fadedpaw woke, silently laying beside Whisperpaw, who sat oppisite her, close to Tawnypool. Silentlily and Midnightstorm, two apprentices who had been made Warriors the night before last, slept right next to the den opening, where they could see the sky.

In a back cavern, away from her clanmates, Fawntrail began to have her kits.

The fox kits snuck into the cave, and the brother curiously scampered over to Midnightstorm and Silentlily. The sister, who's name was Muka, stepped away from them, consequently running into Tawnypool.

She let out a frightened squeak. Her brother, Kolun, barked sharply at her, and Midnightstorm woke.

Unfortunatly, the kits' interactions drew their mother to them. The protective fox, named Anilin, leapt at Midnightstorm, swiftly killing him before he could utter a warning.

Silentlily, enraged at her brothers murder, growled menacingly at Anilin, stepping mournfully and protectively over her brother's body.

Kolun barked at Anilin, who snarled at Silentlily, batting a paw at her. Her strong blow sent Silentlily down, hard. She landed next to her brother. Kolun leapt on top of the fallen shecat, and, though his attack was clumsier then his mother's, he managed to dispatch her.

The mother regarded her son curiously, her dark eyes glittering. Then, she leapt at Whisperpaw and Fadedpaw. To her, all of the cats were the enemy, for being in the presence of her kits'. Kolun yipped at his sister, who stood paralyzed beside Tawnypool.

Fawntrail let out a strangled cry from her spot at the back of the cave. One of her kits had been stillborn. The other was fading fast.

Darkstar woke, and so did Briarstorm, Whisperpaw and Fadedpaw's mother. Fallenrain, who was Silentlily and Midnightstorm's mom, was woken also. The two queens let out crys of greif upon seeing their kits, killed on the cave floor. Fallenrain, who was expecting her second litter, collapsed to the ground in a dead faint.

Briarstorm snarled in rage, and flung herself at Kolun. Her mate, Suntalon, who had raced over at the sound, leapt at Anilin, who had tryed to attack his mate. Kolun was killed by Briarstorm. Anilin snarled, and crushed Suntalon, stepping on his throat as she slammed her other down on Briarstorm.

By this time, the clan had awakened. They grouped up around their fallen clanmates. One, Driftingpaw, the medicine apprentice, raced to Fawntrail.

The fox mother, seeing she was outnumbered, snarled one last time before racing out of the cave, grabbing her only kit, Muka, and the fear-stricken Tawnypool as she went. The meek Muka immediatly curled into a ball.

.

FallenrainHF choked, as she pulled Midnightstorm and Silentlily's bodies to the center of the cave. Briarstorm and Suntalon were pulled beside them by Fallenrain and her mate, Falconfrost.

Fadedpaw and Whisperpaw were brought forward to rest beside their parents.

.

Fawntrail had three of her six kits survive. She named the, Silentkit, Tawnykit, Briarkit, and Whisperkit. They pushed her others with the rest of the dead. They mourned the rest of the night and half of the morning.


End file.
